Charles Darwin University

High

university|ABN 54093513649|www.cdu.edu.au ACNC Register →

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Annual Giving

$9.1M

About

Charles Darwin University is a leading Australian university based in the Northern Territory, dedicated to providing higher education, conducting impactful research, and fostering community engagement. As a 'grantmaker' it offers a range of scholarships and research funding opportunities to support its students and advance knowledge.

Tips for Applicants

Applicants for scholarships should clearly articulate their academic achievements, demonstrate alignment with CDU's values or specific program objectives, and highlight any contributions to community or leadership potential. For research funding, proposals should be well-structured, innovative, and address a clear research gap, often with a focus on impact relevant to the Northern Territory or Australia.

Giving Philosophy

Charles Darwin University's giving philosophy is deeply rooted in its mission to advance knowledge, provide accessible educational pathways, and support research that addresses critical regional, national, and global challenges. This is primarily achieved through scholarships for students, funding for research projects, and initiatives that strengthen community ties, particularly within Northern Australia.

Notable Grants

■Charles Darwin University, Civiltech Solutions, Additive Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre — $1,200,000 (2026) — AI-powered robotic system to detect and repair cracked roads

ACNC Financial History

Year	Grants Given	Revenue	Total Assets	Net Assets
FY2023	—	$385.2M	$974.4M	$674.6M
FY2022	—	$363.7M	$871.7M	$706.1M
FY2021	—	$378.0M	$782.2M	$661.0M
FY2020	—	$343.9M	$690.0M	$582.6M
FY2019	$870K	$321.2M	$622.0M	$551.7M
FY2018	$1.8M	$300.9M	$631.3M	$574.5M
FY2017	$9.1M	$301.8M	$644.0M	$586.7M
7yr total	$11.9M	Source: ACNC Annual Information Statements

Charles Darwin University

About

Tips for Applicants

Giving Philosophy

Notable Grants

ACNC Financial History

Grants in Database (18)

Breathing streams: integrating aquatic emissions into carbon budgets. This project aims to determine the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by small streams across the Australian tropics, a potential

Developing Ecosystem Services Economies for northern Australia. The project aims to advance economic opportunities for Indigenous communities across Northern Australia by developing culturally appropr

Linking terrestrial–aquatic fluxes to rectify the Australian carbon balance. This project aims to rectify the Australian carbon balance by determining the amount of terrestrial carbon that is lost to

Improving the Governance of Species Lists. The aim of this project is to develop a system of governance for the creation of taxonomic lists. This project expects to apply knowledge of how other scienc

Caring for Cosmologies: Making Living Maps for West Miyarrka. This project aims to develop a new kind of digital mapping to document endangered forms of knowledge along a coastline under threat from c

Investing in Aboriginal Languages. We will develop the first systematic account of Aboriginal language programs and what makes them effective and sustainable. The project will create a substantial evi

Unpacking the policy process: alcohol policy in complex social environments. In pursuit of effective alcohol policies, experts have focused on promoting evidence-based solutions, assuming that policym

Indigenous-led Sea Country Management: Protecting Australia's Marine Estate. This project aims to understand and support the aspirations and achievements of Sea Country Traditional Owners in leading t

First Nations AI: Country, Climate, Communication. Our team of Indigenous and western scholars aims to develop a systematic account of artificial intelligence and its possibilities in climate change c

Cat management guided by Country. The project aims to understand the seasonal variation in feral cat ecology and management effectiveness on the Tiwi Islands—where cats are rapidly eroding biodiversit

Improving desert fire management with culturally directed science. This project aims to improve fire management in Australian deserts. Working with 4 Indigenous ranger teams managing >150,000 km2 of t

Where Waters Meet: Empirical philosophy amidst more than human collectives. This project aims to position water-places, with their attendant people and non-humans, as central actors in Australian coll

Indigenist Archaeology: New Ways of Knowing the Past and Present. This project aims to explore how Indigenous Australian worldviews can transform archaeological practice and understandings of the past

The demographic consequences of extreme weather events in Australia. This project aims to understand how extreme weather events are likely to affect Australians’ residential mobility choices, using ma

The Macroderma initiative: conserving ghost bats and informing development. This project aims to improve methods for capturing biological information required for environmental assessments of highly m

How safe are island havens for biodiversity? This project will be a partnership between scientists and First Nations rangers to assess the effectiveness of Australian islands as biodiversity havens. T

Designing peacemaking programs with First Nations languages and communities. This project aims to examine mediation, negotiation and peacemaking processes in First Nations communities, and the languag

Transforming Cultural & Natural Resource Management workforce capabilities. This project aims to implement a transformative program of transdisciplinary cultural and natural resource management and wo

Programs (from website)

CDU Vice-Chancellor's Scholarship

CDU Indigenous Student Success Program (ISSP) Scholarships

Focus Areas

Board & Leadership

Matching Grants

Similar Foundations

Data Sources